Activity 2.2

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Unit 2 Louisianas Wetland Ecosystems
Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?
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Host Researcher
Jacoby Carter, BA in Zoology and Botany Has
developed a computer model that helps him study
how nutria populations impact the
wetlands. Enters data, how much plant life exists
and how much plant life each nutria will eat,
into the computer model. Using this data Jacoby
Carter can determine the number of nutria the
plot of land can support. When nutria becomes
too high he alerts the wetland managers.
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Content Standards A, C, and G
Standard A Science as Inquiry Strand A1-All
students should develop abilities necessary to do
scientific inquiry. Standard C Life
Science Strand C3-Students should develop an
understanding of regulation and behavior. Strand
C4-Students should develop an understanding of
populations and ecosystems.
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Content Standards A, C, and G
Standard G History and Nature of Science Strand
G2-Students should develop an understanding about
the nature of science.
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Teacher/Student Activity Book
Page 54 How are changes to Louisianas wetlands
impacting the plant and animal communities that
live there? Page 63 Activity 2.2 How Many
Nutria Are Too Many Nutria? Page 65-66 Nutria
Masters
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Paragraph Shrinking Page 54

• Divide into 5 groups.
• Each group reads only 1 assigned paragraph to
  present.
• Complete the following to share with the group
• a. Name the who or the what the paragraph
  is about.
• b. Identify two or three important details.
• c. Shrink the paragraph. State the main idea
  of the paragraph in a complete sentence, using
  fifteen words or less.

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Objectives

• Students will simulate Jacoby Carters studies
  by modeling the impact of different nutria
  population sizes on marsh vegetation.
• Students will examine the balance between the
  rate at which nutria consume vegetation and the
  rate at which it grows back.
• Students will discover that if vegetation grows
  back more quickly than it is consumed, the marsh
  is healthy.

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Objectives

• Students will discover that if vegetation grows
  back more slowly than it is consumed, and if
  nutria completely eat out a plot of land, the
  marsh is in danger.
• Students will understand how the introduction of
  alien species can impact an environment.

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Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?

• Master 2.2 A page 65
• Work in pairs.
• Set up marshland by
• placing 5 dried beans
• on each plot.
• Draw a card from
• the bag and remove
• 2 beans from the corresponding
• number square.
• Return card to bag. Repeat for each nutria
  living on your marshland (4, 8 or 12). If there
  is only 1 bean in the plot, take one from a
  neighboring plot. If 0 beans remain, take 2 from
  another random plot.

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Activity 2.2 How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?

• One month has now passed. Observe the conditions
  and record your data on your worksheet.
• During this month, some plant life grew back.
  Follow directions below your marsh to replace
  plants (beans).
• Continue for one year and be prepared to share
  your results with Dr. Jacoby Carter.

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Conclusion
Observations At the end of 1 year, how many
plots were eaten out when nutria population was
4? 8? 12? Conclusions Summarize how the
introduction of nutria impacts the wetlands over
time. What would happen to the marshland over a
period of years?
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Apply Your Knowledge
Digital Lab The Secret Life of the
Bayou Show What You Know To Fish or Not To
Fish? Literature Connection Swamp